Mechanical baseball game



June 13, 1950 D. B. CLARK MECHANICAL BASEBALL GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed May 10, 1946 June 13, 1950 D. B. CLARK MECHANICAL BASEBALL GAME 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 10, 1946 Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates generally to improvements in surface projectilegame apparatus, and more particularly to improved baseball gameapparatus, the primary object of my invention being to provide apparatusof this character wherein the cost of manufacture is reduced throughsimplification of construction without sacrifice of attractiveness ofform.

Another important object of m invention is to provid in such apparatus,improved ball pitching and batting mechanism, characterized by greatersimplicity and ruggedness, and :adaptibilityto low cost volumeproduction.

Otherimportant objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein merelyfor illustration a preferred embodiment of my invention is set forth indetail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top'plan view.

Figure 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view on an enlarged scale, showingdetails of the projector mechanism.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designatesthe rectangular frame of my improved baseball game apparatus, which mayconsist of two end members 6 and two side members I, which may consistof light wooden boards or of any suitabl stiff fabricated material, suchas heavy cardboard, of inexpensive nature;

Mounted within the frame 5 at a suitable distance below the top of theframe is the horizontal playing surface 8, which consists referably of asingle plate of material like that employed in the frame 5. The edges ofthe playing surface "8 may be set intothe side-and end members of theframe, as shown in Figure 2, or secured thereto in any other suitablemanner.

The base-9, which supports the frame 5 on any suitable horizontalsurface, such as a table (not shown) may be integral with the frame 5,with side members and end members similar to the side and end members ofsaid frame, or the base its end edges incleats l5 and I6 secured to theend members II and I2, respectively. A rela tively large access. openingI! is formed in the front end member I2 just above th depressed end ofthe ball return.

To thetop of th playing surface 8 with a do lineation l8. of a baseball.diamond, displaced somewhat toward the front of the playing surface, andjust rearwardly of the first to second baseline, and the second to thirdbaseline, are positioned two pairs of tubular cylindrical ball traps l9and 2 0, and 2| and 22, respectively. In the outfield area of theplaying surface beyond the diamond l-8 are three equally transverselyspaced tubular. cylindrical ball traps, 23, 24v and 25, corresponding toright, center and left fields. Behind the batters box corner of thediamond and adjacent to the front end of the playing surface I 8 is acatcher balltrap 26, and a pitcher ball trap 21 ispositioned at thecenter or pitchers box of; the diamonds Th ball traps are all suitablematerial tubes fixed in conforming holes formed in the playing field I8and set at various heights and angles, with their lower ends projectingbelow the playing field, as seen in Fiugure2.

The outfield ball traps 23, 24. and 25 are set higher than the infieldtraps but like. the infield traps lean forwardly and have their tops 28'out 01f substantially squarely with the lower edges flush with the topof the playing surface.

Th catcher ball trap 26 leans rearwardly and has a step-cut top 29,while the pitcher ball trap ill lgans forwardly and has a slightlyangulated The ball pitching, and batting mechanism comprises the pitcher3|, and the batter 32, and their operating connections. so arranged thatthe ball 33, preferably a rubber ball, is pitched by the pitcher 3|toward the batter 32, after being deposited by hand in the pitcher, andafter the batter has been retracted and released by hand, so that thepitched ball arrives in position to be struck by the batter as thebatter swings toward the ball.

The pitcher 3| comprises a generally horizontal tube 34, open at bothends, and provided in its top with a ball receiving hole 35, throughwhich the ball 33 is fed by hand to the pitcher. The rear. end of thetube 34 has on its bottom an enlargement or lug 36: traversed by atransverse pivot 31, such as. a bolt, which supportably traverses a pairof bars 38 located at opposite sides of said lug, with their'lower endsresting upon the playing surface, and connected together by a cross bar39. A bolt 40 traverses the cross bar, the playing surface 8, and areinforcing plate 4|, secured to the under side of the playing surface.The tube 34 is substantially longitudinally aligned with the batters boxcorner 42 of th diamond |8 but can pivot with limited freedom on theaxis of the pivot 31.

A plunger 43 loosely mounted through the rear end of the tube 34 has abifurcation 44 traversed by a pivot 45 connecting thereto the upper endof a lever 45 which extends rearwardly and downwardly through a slot 4'!in the playing surface 8 and plate 4| behind the pitcher 3|, whose edgesare projected by a grommet 48.

The lower end of the lever 46 has a bolt or pin 49 extending through alongitudinal slot 50 in the adjacent end of a pitman thereby forming apivotal and sliding connection with the pitman.

The batter 32 comprises a vertical cylindrical post 52 located to theleft of the batters box 42 and having below the upper end a fixed collaror enlargement 53 rotatably bearing upon a washer 54 resting on the topof the playing surface 8. The post 52 is journalled in an opening formedin the playing surface 8 and a reinforcing plate 55 secured thereunder,the part of the post therebelow having a collar 55 and washer 5'!bearing against the bottom of the plate 55 to retain the post inposition.

The bat 58 consists of a wire coil loosely circumposed on a flexible armincluding the coil retaining head 59 and the bifurcated terminal 60.This arm is pivotally mounted on lugs 5| by means of a bolt 62 which canbe loosened and retightened to adjust the angularity of the bat 58 withrespect to the playing surface 8. The said lugs 5| are terminals of aclamping ring 63 embracing the upper part of the post 52 and which istightened thereon by means of the bolt 62. When the bolt 52 is loosenedthe bat 58 may be adjusted around the post 52 to a desired startingposition for its swing.

The lower end of the post 52 is traversed by a bar 64, one arm of whichis arranged to strike a stop 65 depending from the plate 55 to determinethe starting position of the bat 58 and to limit its recoil upon releaseto such position.

A spring 66 is stretched between the plate 55 and the remaining arm ofthe cross bar 64, which is stretched when the bat 58 is retracted by theplayer's hand, and which supplies the bats ball propelling force whenreleased, and returns the bat to its starting position.

The outer end of the last-mentioned cross bar arm is pivoted in abifurcation 68 on the adjacent end of the pitman 5| by a bolt or pin 61.

A spring 69 is stretched between a rearward part of the reinforcingplate 4| and a point near the lower end of the plunger operating lever46 of the pitcher, to supply the forward ball-driving force for theplunger 43, which drives the ball 33 out of the tube 34 toward thebatter 3 I, when first the plunger is retracted so as to stretch thespring 69 and suddenly released.

In operation, the bat 58 in being pulled back by the player, turns thepost 52, so that the spring 66 is stretched and the pitman 5| is drawnforwardly, so that the rear end of the slot 50 in the rear end of thepitman abuts the lever pin 49, and pushes it forwardly so that theplunger operating spring 59 is stretched and the plunger 43 retracted.

Upon release of the bat 58, the spring 66 contracts, pushes the pitman5| rearwardly at the same time that it swings the bat 58 toward the 4pitcher 3|. Because of the arrangement and length of the slot 55 in therear end of the pitman 5|, the early rearward movement of the pitmanthus produced is sufficient to permit the spring 69 to actuate theplunger 43 and propel the ball 33 to the region of the batter 32 beforethe bat 58 completes its swing, so that on meeting the ball the bat canpropel the ball over the playing surface 8.

A batted ball can pass into one of the various ball traps in front ofthe batter, or drop through the out slot across the rear of theoutfield,

or a foul ball or a passed ball can pass into the ball trap behind thebatter, or a batted ball can come to rest at some other place on theplaying surface 8, and any desired scoring significance may be giventhereto in accordance with agreement among the players or an establishedset of rules.

I claim:

1. In ball game apparatus involving a plate providing a playingsurl'ace, a batter pivotally mounted on a vertical axis above said plateand having a lateral arm for striking a ball and serving as a handle formanually retracting the batter, first spring means connectedeccentrically to said batter for pivoting said batter in ball battingdirection when said batter is manually retracted in the oppositedirection by means of said handle against the resistance of said firstspring means and is then manually released, a pitcher comprising a ballpropelling plunger positioned above said plate, a link pivoted at itsupper end to said plunger and fulcrumed intermediate its ends on aportion on said plate, second spring means connected to said link at itslower end for projecting said plunger, an operating pitman eccentricallypivoted at one end to said batter, the opposite end of said pitmanhaving a longitudinal slot and the lower end of said link having a pinengaging therein whereby manual retraction of said batter by means ofsaid handle produces retraction of said plunger against the resistanceof said second spring means and whereby manual release of said batterfrom retracted position permits free movement of said plunger in ballpropelling direction by said second spring means independently of saidbatter and of said first spring means.

2. In ball game apparatus involving a plate providing a playing surface,a batter pivotally mounted above said plate and having a lateral arm forstriking a ball and serving as a handle for manually retracting thebatter, first spring means connected eccentrically to said batter forpivoting said batter in ball batting direction when said batter ismanually retracted in the opposite direction by means of said handleagainst the resistance of said first spring means and is then manuallyreleased, a pitcher comprising a ball propelling plunger positionedabove said plate, a link pivoted at its upper end to said plunger andfulcrumed intermediate its ends on a portion on said plate, secondspring means connected to said link near its lower end for projectingsaid plunger, an operating pitman eccentrically pivoted at one end tosaid batter, and a lost motion connection between the opposite end ofsaid pitman and the remaining end of said link, whereby manualretraction of said batter by means of said handle produces retraction ofsaid plunger against the resistance of said second spring means andwhereby manual release of said batter from retracted position permitsfree movement of said plunger in ball propelling direction by saidsecond spring means independently of said batter and of said firstspring means, said lost motion connection comprising a slot formedlongitudinally in said pitman and a pivot pin on the said other end ofsaid link operatively engaged in said slot.

3. In a ball game apparatus involving a plate providing a playingsurface, a batter pivotally mounted on a vertical axis above said plate,first spring means arranged to pivot said batter in ball propellingdirection when said batter is manually retracted in the oppositedirection against the resistance of said first spring means andreleased, a pitcher comprising a ball propelling plunger positionedabove said plate, an operating link pivoted at its upper end to saidplunger and loosely fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a portion ofsaid. plate, second spring means connected to said link below itsfulcrum point whereby said plunger is moved in ball propelling directionwhen said plunger is retracted against the resistance of said secondspring means and released, a rigid pitman pivoted at one end to aneccentric point on said batter and having a longitudinal slot at itsopposite end, a pin on the lower end of said link engaged in said slot,said slot being positioned longitudinally in said pitman whereby saidpitcher is retracted upon manual retraction of said batter and wherebysaid plunger is released for operation by said. second spring meansindependently of operation of said batter by said first spring meansupon release of said batter from retracted position.

4. In ball game apparatus involving a horizontal plate providing aplaying surface, a batter pivotally mounted on a vertical axis throughsaid plate having a radial bat above said plate and a radial arm belowsaid plate, a first spring streched between said radial arm and saidplate to pivot said batter in ball propelling direction when said batteris manually retracted in a direction against the resistance of saidfirst spring 6 andreleased, a ball pitcher comprising a horizontal tubeloosely mounted on the top of said plate, a plunger working in saidtube, a link pivoted at its upper end to said plunger and dependingthrough an opening provided in said plate, said opening providing edgeportions against which an intermediate part of said link can fulcrum, asecond spring stretched between the lower part of said link and saidplate to pivot said link in a direction to move said plunger in saidtube and project a ball therefrom toward said batter, a pitman pivotedat one end to the outer end of said batter arm and formed at itsopposite end with a longitudinal slot, and a pin on the lower end ofsaid link engaging said slot, said slot being positioned in said pitmanwhereby said pitcher plunger is retracted upon manual retraction of saidbatter by means of said bar and whereby said plunger is released to bemoved by said second spring to project a ball independently of pivotingof said batter by said first spring means upon release of said batterfrom retracted position.

DON B. CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 685,006 Peck Oct. 22, 1901861,843 Heitmann July 30, 1907 1,093,764 Brown Apr. 21, 1914 1,508,327Higgins Sept. 9, 1924 1,595,185 Granger et al. Aug. 10, 1926 1,609,247Hanley Nov. 30, 1926 1,680,077 Allender Aug. 7, 1928 1,759,128 Marx May20, 1930 1,793,969 Simmons Feb. 24, 1931 1,942,429 Jacobs Jan. 9, 19342,233,729 Brink Mar. 4, 1941

